WALTHAM, Mass. – Six Bentley University student-athletes, representing five different sports, have been named 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine.

Bentley's honorees were women's basketball captain Kari Brekke (Appleton, Wis./Appleton North HS), football running back Nathaniel Larkins (Huntington, N.Y./John Glenn HS), field hockey player Ana Carter (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory HS), women's track athlete Annie DeForge (Hillsboro, Ore./Liberty HS) and two members of the men's track and field team, thrower Joe Chau (Watertown/Watertown HS) and jumper Antony Arias (Revere/Revere HS).

Brekke was tabbed for first team recognition in women's basketball, Carter was one of six field hockey players from across the country who were recognized, Larkins was a fourth-teamer in football and the three track and field athletes were all listed on the second team.

 Since 1992, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar awards have been presented to undergraduate students of color who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field.

Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, Jr.'s commitment to education as well as his love for the game of tennis, U.S. colleges and universities are invited to participate in this annual awards program by nominating their outstanding sports scholars. In addition to their athletic ability and academic performance (3.5 cumulative GPA or higher), Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars demonstrate a commitment to community service and student leadership.

Arias, a sophomore economics-finance major, ranks in the top 12 in Bentley outdoor track history in both the long jump and the triple jump. He saw limited action this season but his highlights from his rookie year included placing 12^th  in the triple jump and helping the Falcons finish seventh in the 4x100 relay during the 2021 Northeast-10 Outdoor Track Championships. Arias has been involved in Bentley's FirstGen Presidential Fellows Program.

Brekke, who will be returning next year as a graduate student for her final year of eligibility, averaged 10.9 points and earned third team All-Northeast-10 honors while helping Bentley capture the Northeast-10 championship and earn an NCAA Division II regional bid. She led the conference in three-point accuracy, hitting at a 42 percent success rate from beyond the stripe. The Summa Cum Laude graduate has been the co-leader of an on-campus group, Be the Bridge, that discusses how to be aware and respond to racial brokenness and systemic injustice.

Carter, a junior defender, appeared in 12 games off the bench for the 2021 Falcons, who earned the program's first NCAA berth since 2012. The economics-finance major is a member of the Bentley SAAC Racial Justice Committee as well as the Student Equity and Inclusion Fellowship.

Chau, a Cum Laude graduate with majors in marketing and liberal studies, finished his career as the tenth best discus thrower in Bentley history with a throw of 125 feet, two inches. Earlier this month, he placed tenth in the Northeast-10 championships in that event. A member of the Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity, Chau participated in America Clicks! and Opportunities for Inclusion with Bentley Service Learning.

DeForge, an outstanding student who majors in data analytics and business studies, ran to 15^th place in the 800 meters and was part of Bentley's 4x800 relay team that finished eighth in the Northeast-10 outdoor championships. Indoors, the junior was 14^th in the 800 and a member of a 4x800 relay team that was ninth in the conference championships.  DeForge has been involved in numerous community service activities, including tutoring English as a Second Language students at a local elementary school.

Larkins, a junior management major, helped Bentley to a 9-2 record and the program's first NCAA Division II playoff game since 2004 last fall. He rushed for 558 yards and six touchdowns in eight games and had a trio of 100-yard games. He's volunteered at a food pantry and has been involved with Habitat for Humanity.